Hand-truck.



G. D. PARKER.

HAND TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 5, 1907.

Pasfsuted De@E l, 1969.

general class GEORGE D. FARKER, F RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA.

' HAND-TRUCK.

erases.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Gnoicon D. Pannen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverside, in the county of Riverside and State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in Hand-Trucks, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to hand trucks provided with load-holding means, of the same as the invention constituting the subject of Letters Patent issued to me liugust 6th, 1907, No. 862,194.

The load-holding means are adapted and constituted to be engaged with andy holdy 'to the truck abox or other load, during transportation of the latter; the weight of the load acting to hold the lat-ter with a t'orce proportional to such weight.v

The invention has for its object to provide an improved hand' truck equipped or organized with 'load-holding means, whereby the entirety shall besuperior in point of simplicity and inexpensiveness of cons rruction, sim-` lplicityand elliciency in use and operation,

facility in repair and serviceability. e

. A. particular objectief the invention is the general `efiiciency and provision of improvements ofthe character' described which enables the convenient, simple and inex ensive transformation of an ordinary hand truck into a hand truck embodying the invention.

The invention varies in the construction, combination, association and operation of parts, members and features, from the invention constituting the subject of the recited Letters Patent, tails and features which are radical and distinguishing'; and all of which will be 'manifestl from a comparison of the disclosure of i the accompanying drawing and the following description andv claims with the disclosure of the corresponding parts of said prior patent. Y,

The invention consists in the novel provision, construction, combination and .association of parts, members and features, all asA hereinafter described, shown in the drawing, and pointed out in appended claims.

In the drawing Figure l is a perspec tive front elevation of a hand truck embodying and exemplifying the invention; Fig. 2

partial rear elevation of thc same, -partly 1n section; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged 1n certain particulars, de-

Specification of Letters Patent. Application led December 5, 1907.

Patented Dec. ist, '19@9. Serial No. 405,267. i

sectional View lot' a detail of constructionv shown in the other figures; and, Fig. 4 is anenlargcd fragmentary View oa. modifiedform of the construction shown in Fig. B.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring with particular-ity to the drawing, A designates a hand truck frame or body, and B' designa tes load-holding means, in l, 2 and 3; C designating load-hold ing means, of a modified form ot construction, in Fig. 4.

D designates operating means for' the load-holding means; said operating means embodying .or including retraction means d. u

E designates the hand truck` axle,'with which the operating means D are associated or combined. elude or embody a foot lever F and the load-holding means4 B 'include .or embody gripping members G, each preferably mounted at one side of the truck. The gripping members G are positively actuated by the foot lever F,'to engage the former with the load; and th'e saine are traction means (i to withdraw the gripping members from the load. .Vhen the grip ing members are engaged with' the load, an the The operating means. D inactuated by the re-v i hand truck is tilted rearwardly, the load isv broughtto bear against side of the hand truck; of the load through the the forward face or medium of the grip-V and upon elevation ping members G and the hand truck or the i frame or body A of the same, or both, the

weight of the load causes a gri l ping pressure of the gripping members upon the load in roportion to the weight of the latter. A tertransportation of the load, the handtruclr is tilted forwardly; and at the moment that the weight of the load is removed from hegripping members G, the

retraction means (Z cause the disengagement of the `tripping members G from the load and their restoration to normal or inoperative positions. The latter positions are those of elevation, the'actuation of the gripping members G by the foot lever F causing the depression of the gripping members, 0r the gripping heads g of the same, combined with movement toward the medial longitudinal plane of the hand truck. In the operation of gripping the load, the. latter should be positioned. substantially in enTv gagement with the lower front side or vt'ace of the hand truck, although the slight yielding of the gripped load under pressure of' the gripping heads g causes the load to swing slightly in a direction toward the hand truck.

c designates stop means limitingthe ac-` tion of the retractionA means d.

A preferred. orm'ot1 construction, combination, and relative arrangement'of parts, members and features of a hand truck embodying the invention is as tollowsz The hand truck frame or body of any standard or suitable type, is provided with the usual handles at the upper end, and with the axle E at the lower end. At the rear side or face of the hand truck frame A, and at each lateral side of the same, l provide bearings H having two members, 6 and 7 respectivelyeach of which bearings may be ot'integral formation, and securely bolted to the hand truck frame, as at 8.

' The bearings 7 provide journals for the Aeo in mutuai converging relations.

wheels 9 of the hand truck which are loose upon the axle E, being maintained in working positions at opposite sides of the frame by collars 10 upon the axle lE. rlhe members 6 ot' the bearings H are inclined outwardly and downwardly from the sides of the handv truck frame, so that the angles between the axes of the same and medial longitudinal plane of the hand. truck frame are less than right angles. rlhe gripping members are mounted in the bearing members 6 respectively, and comprise each a ,rock shaft 11 operatively secured in one of the bearing members 6, and a rigid gripping arm 12 extending angularly from the outer end of" such rock shaft and provided at its own outer end with one of the gripping heads yg. The grippin arms 12 are positioned to exY tend orwar ly beyond the plane ot the forward face or side of the handV truck frame ln the form of construction shown in each'of the figures with the exception of Fig. 4f, each ot' the gripping heads g comprises a' toothed or pronged metallic cup 13 which has a swivel connection with the outer end tof the respective arm 12 by a bolt or keyed pin 1&1. In the form of construction shown in Fig. 4 the arm 12 is provided with a gripping head L having an angular toothed or pronged operative or load engaging surface portion 15.

The operating means D for the gripping arms 12 include the-axle E, which acts as a rock shaft, and operative connections K between the axle E and the rock shaft 11 ot' the gripping arms. 'The operative connections K, for each of the rock shafts 11,' may comprise 'twoA beveled. gear segments, one, namely 16, being fixed u ontthe rock shaft 11; and the other, name y 1 7, being fixed said gear segments meshin .one with the other. The foot lever F is l lkend to the axle 1C by a screw or key 18, in proper projection trom said axle to suitably control the actuation of the gripping arms 12 through the medium of the axle E and the gear segments 1G and 17.

The retraction means al embody a tension member lm, consisting of a coiled expansive spring 19 which encircles a rod 20 sliding freely through' akeeper 21 secured .to the rearwardside or face of a cross brace 22mcluded in the hand truck frame A.; said spring 19 bearing at its upper end against said keeper 21, and at its lower end-againstA a stop 23'ixed uponthe rod 20. Said rod is pivotally connected at its lower end, as at 24, with an extension 25 of the foot lever F, which extension projects'forwardly of the axle E. The stop means c may consist of a collar 26 adjustably mounted upon the rod 20 above the keeper 21 and provided with securing means 27 :t'or its positioning. The elevation of the gripping heads g, by the retraction means d, acting through the axle E 'and the gear segments 16 and 17, is regulated and determined by the position of the stop means e upon the rod 20, as will be readily understood, the downwardmovement of the rod 20 being limited by the engagement ot the stop means e with the keeper 21. ,K

The operation, method of use and advantages o the improved hand truck constitut- 'ing the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing, "aken in connect-ion with the drawing and the' following statement. In use, the hand truck is brought upto the box or load to be transported, such box or load being of a width within the; range of v mut-ual approach and separation of the gripping heads g, and the foot lever F is depressed until said gripping ieads impinge ioa upon the load. The angularity of the rock shafots 16 causes the gripping heads to converge land move downwardly when the toot lever is depressed. The hand truck is now tilted rearwardly and the weight ot' the load holds it to the gripping heads which cannot descend lowerbecause their mutual approach is blocked by the load.I The load is now transported' and deposited, and as soon as the gripping arms are freed from the weight of the load the retraction means d cause -the gripping heads to rise in mutual divergence.

The load may ot' course be gripped by ,the

gripping arms 12 themselves.'

It is manifest that the utilization of the hand truck axle E as part of the operating means D permits resultant simplicity of or ganization ot' the operating means D, withy attendant fewness of parts.` It is further manifest that an ordinary hand truck may be readily converted into one comprising the. invention by substituting :the two-membered bearings H for those previously in use, together with the addition of the foot lever F, the retraction means cl, the gear segments 16 load-holding means,

turn freely4 in the and 17, the rock shafts 11, and the gripping arms l2 which may be integral with the latter and provided with'anysuitable heads or portions, such as g and h.

The entire construction is one of stability and durability, and provides for positive and unfailing action. The gri ping heads g adapting of t e load to the engaged andsupported condition and position, taking torsional strain from the gripping arms `12 and the connected parts.

I do not desire tovbe understood as limiting 'myself to the specific construction, combination, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and pieces shown and described; but reserve the right to' vary the same, in adapting the improvements to varying 'conditions of use, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the terms of thelfollowing claims :-v

Having thus Idescribed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a hand truck, a gripping member and an axle for the truck Wheels constituting a rock-shaft to move the ipping member to and from gripping p0sit1on.

' 2. A hand truck provided with a ipping member mounted at one side o the same and embodying a pivotally mounted shaft, and operating means for said o'ripping member comprising the axle of the hand truck and operative connections between the axle and said shaft.` Y

3. A hand truck providedwith movable andan axle for the truckwheels constituting means to operate the load-holding means.

4. A handtruck 'provided with 'movable load-holding means, and operating means for the load-'holding means omprisingthe axle ofthe hand truck and operative con-v sripping mg means for the .Y the. hand ing upon the nectio'ns between the axle and the load-holding means.

5. A hand truck provided with movable load-holdin means, and operating means for the load-holding means com rising the axle ofthe hand truck and gears ii, axle and the load-holdin means.

6. A hand truck provi ed with a pivotally mounted gripping member comprising a rock shaft anda gripping arm projecting an'gularlyv from the same; and with operatgripping 'member comprismg the axle of the hand truck and gears between the axleand the rock shaft.

'7. A hand truck provided with movable load-holding means, operating means for the load-holding means comprislng the axle' of truck and operative connections between the axle and the load-holding means and a foot lever mounteduponthe axle; and with retraction means for the load-holding means embodying a tension member operatetween the axle and a stop means whereby the normal position of the load-holding means may be regulated.

8. A hand truck provided with movablelload-holding means,

and operatin means for the load-holding means Vinclu ing the axle of the hand truck, and a foot lever mounted upon the axle.

- 9. In a truck, gripping members and an` axle for the truck wheels, the same constituting a rock shaft to move the gripping members to and from griplping position.

In testimony whereof, have signed my name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEQRGED. PARKER. Witnesses RAYMOND I. BLAKPLEE, CAL. F. HUNTER. 

